Brewed 2012, aged in 600 liter French oak, bottled 2014, opened January 2016. Pours a deep golden, with no head-formation what-so-ever. Upon opening, but also when pouring, appears to have very little carbonation. The nose is sweet, appealing, restrained, earthy, slightly funky, and hints of Brettanomyces (barnyard). Evident, forward, sourness on the palate. Bright notes suggesting fruit that is not quite ripe. The fruits include such as green apple, pears, citrus peel, accompanied by vanilla and wood. The hop notes are very restrained, as are the malt notes. No lace forms. This is a complex, and cognitive brew, that invites reflection,. The lingering is light, but persistent. The ale is dry and moreish, and would be an excellent aperitif, or as an accompaniment to dishes that require a bit of acidity or sourness to cleanse the palate between bites. I will seek this Lambic again.

Brewed 2013, bottled 2014. Aged in French oak. Poured from 750 ml bottle into champagne flute. Appearance of hazy apple juice, very little carbonation. Delicate aromas of tart apple, yeast, and vinegar. Flavors are quite muted as well: tart cider and green apple, with a touch of oaky bitterness on the finish. It fits the style description perfectly. If you like Chardonnay, you might enjoy this one.

Not impressed at all with this one, there's an ever-present phenolic harshness floating around it, less noticeably in the nose than on the palate, where it tastes a bit like prickly soured wine. The body is too flat and slick. The palate hints at some decent sour notes but then gets caught up in those awkward phenols again. The best part about this beer is that I found it on sale for $8 instead of the $25-$30 I usually see it at. Even at $8, not something I'd revisit.

Pours a still body. Very clear apple juice. Light head when poured vigorously - much like a non-carbonated Spanish cider. Smells of pale malts, wheaty grain, lemon juice, acidic funk, musty old house. Softer nose than a geuze. Tastes of grain and malt, green apple, solid acidity, but not overly sour. Dry. Awesome. Reminds me of a good cider. Light bodied and flat. That's kind of the gist of it. Tasty blend of older lambics without the high acidity and effervescence of a typical blend (geuze). Draws a of parallels with northern Spanish ciders. Delicious.

No head at all. Odd funk in the nose with just a hint of oak. Flavor is just slightly acidic with an over the top off putting earthy funk that overwhelms the palate. Literally tastes like eating soil. Light to medium body. Weak carbonation. Lacks the nice dry feel you get from a good sour. Overall, pretty weak.

Poured a gorgeous cloudy goldenrod orange body with no head. Overall impression of appearance of is of a very pleasant, rustic lambic. Gorgeous. Scents of sour barnyard funk, horse-blanket, earthy aromas, hay and cider vinegar, mingled with moderately sour notes of lemon and light citrus, along with some light oak and apple aromas on the background. Overall impression of flavor is of an amazing, very traditional lambic. Wild, barnyard sourness dominates and makes this a very pleasing aroma profile, despite what you would think. Flavor begins highly sour with notes of grapefruit, lemon, lemon zest, lactic acid, a bit of oak and a sour, barnyard funk with notes of hay. Middle continues to be sour with notes of oak, lemon zest, lemon and sour barnyard funk. Finish is highly sour with notes of barnyard funk, hay, light hop bitterness, lemon, lemon zest and a bit of grapefruit. Aftertaste is sour barnyard funk, spicy phenolic bitterness and light hop bitterness. Overall impression of flavor is of a nice, traditional, highly sour lambic that is quite refreshing. Very nice. Mouthfeel is medium-light bodied with low carbonation and a sour, puckering, crisp feel. Overall impression of mouthfeel is of a light beer that still feels somewhat full, quite nice. Overall this is a great sour. It fits the guidelines for a classic lambic quite nicely and is incredibly sour, complex and refreshing. Quite nice.

Taste: tame woodiness with a flowing bouquets of floral citrus fruits. The oak increases in intensity and tartness on the body. Palate is pulled through the ringer on the finish with a peak of tartness which leaves you pulling for more.

Not much carbonation, although this was expected. Copper/amber color. A few small bubbles floating on top. Sour fruit nose - nice, although not particularly complex. Earthy sour flavor. White grapes. A little meatiness. Nice, although again, little going on here besides the sourness. Relatively thin body, although fine for the style. Overall, a nice sour beer, although probably not worth the price tag.

We crack the cage and cork, pouring a brew the coloring of hazy apple juice from our 750mL bottle. This batch was brewed in 2013 and bottled in 2014, and the source was “Private Domain”. Our flutes fill quickly, but no head, and thus no real lacing, is produced. Bubbles cling to the sides of our glasses, but carbonation appears to be only mildly active. Haze, again, is moderate, but persists, while no sediment is noted. The notes hot off the top of the aroma are tart, including white vinegar, green grape skins, and harsh lemon juiciness. These blend with balancing hints of perming solution, gentle sulfuric egginess, wet barnyard wheatiness, melty plastic phenols, uric acid and cat pee, rotten and fermented brown apple sweetness, hayseed, light and smoky rubbers, cold wax, cod oil, light brown shoe polish, and under ripe bamboo grassiness. The taste comes with harsh floral and organic tartness of poppyseed, dried rose petals, lavender, and goldenrod dustiness, earthen mineral, vinyl and varnish plastics, vinegar and balsamic acidity, soured lacto and ale yeastiness, synthetic lemon tile cleaner, generic citric peel and pulp, wheaty and Belgian pale malt graininess, pretzel dough saltiness, musky cloth, moldy apple cider sweetness, drying oakiness, and light acetylaldehyde twinge. The body is light to medium, but borders on watered at times, and the carbonation is moderate. Slurp and smack are decently preserved, but cream, froth, pop, and glug are all absent, as is expected for the style. The mouth is quickly puckered on the sip, with high and tight astringency and tannic stripe taking a layer of skin off the roof of your mouth. The abv is appropriate and easy going, but drinkability is more as a delicate sipper.

Overall, if you’re looking for something a bit lighter, but still with enough soured punch to pack, then this might be the ticket for you. The malty crispness lends well to the soured, wild dryness and bite of the yeast and bacteria, without overly washing it out. While it does remain a highly lightened beer, it keeps true to style, without allowing too much carbonation to compromise the complexity of the flavors within. One thing that we felt was muted, actually, was the oak. There was more dense woodiness through the taste than the nose, but still, we were left wanting. We may have tapped this one a bit too early, however. The puck of tartness, while inviting, does take the first layer of skin from the mouth. A bit more age would certainly mellow things out, but we would have to be careful as to not allow too much cloy to enter the picture. It is a wonderful thing, getting into the world of sours, wilds, lambics, and gueuzes, and this one marks another notch on our journey to perfection. While it doesn’t quite get us there, we are happy to have had the chance to sample it, and feel that if you’re in the mood, then this should do you fine.

Appearance: Pours out with a slightly hazy golden color; compared to others, the head bubbled up to an inch of foam and leaves very leggy lacing for a low carbonation beer

Smell: Not all about the funk here though there is plenty of horseblanket to go around; there is also a floral, apple/strawberry tone that adds a nice dimension

Taste: Starts out with yeasty bread, green apple and strawberry fruit; by the mid-palate, the lactic tartness builds and, after the swallow, the funk arrives; there is a bit of surprising sweetness in the finish

Mouthfeel: Medium body with low carbonation

Overall: There aren't too many reviews that are clearly identified as being from this brew year and, as the source of each bottling is different it is hard to compare what I tasted to others; I was very pleasantly surprised, however, both by the carbonation and the flavor; this is not the tartest or the funkiest of lambics, but it does have a nice balance and a very interesting combination of flavors

This Lambic is a pale yellow-gold that's not quite clear but almost. It's not hazy enough to be called translucent, even, but maybe "dusty." It builds up a small white cap to about half a finger, maybe slightly less, that leaves more like a frothy foam within a few minutes. It puts down some light patching. Some floaties are visible, and some rise with and settle into the slightly tinted head.
There's something almost like old leather in herein the aroma, lots of earthy must with a mineral aspect to it, lemon zest, an underlying tartness, straw, grass, wood and a bit of white pepper.
The flavor follows suit, plenty funky with a particularly earthy bent, while the mineral element turns toward a hint of something salty or briny, but just enough to add to the character without being "clammy," per se. There's lots of must and it gets quite dry, more hay than grass here, while the lemon juice and almost cranberry-like tart/sour aspect even it out.
At once fluffy and bitingly crisp, the medium body sits well and flows smoothly, though it's powdery dry particularly in the finish. It works quite well for a Lambic, though a hint of astringency mars it slightly at the very end.

A - I've heard mice farts louder than the carbonation escape from the cork pull. Lambickx pours almost still with loose bubbles forming a ring around the top of the faintly hazed golden beer.

S - Waves of heavenly ripe sour funk permeate every pore of the nostrils with tart citrus rind and damp sweat sock leaving oak and biting acidity on the back end covering up what little "beer" character one might pull from this lambic; unique and classic!

T - Grainy pale malts and soda cracker barely manages to poke through the overtly funky flavor of Lambickx, traipsing across the tongue with dry oak, gym socks, and a tart finish of lemon oil.

M - Notably lower in carbonation during the pour, this single year blend of lambics has a slick feel with just a trickle of bubbles dancing down the throat as this bone dry beer finishes with a combination of tart acidity and downright sour power.

O - Vanberg and DeWulf's Lambickx is a unique drinking experience that distances itself from the other sour beers that grace the shelves. Layers of funky complexity burrow deep into this beer with tart and sour components with descriptors that would make the uninitiated sour drinker question why anyone would consume such a "beer". This blended lambic is not, for many reasons, a training wheel sour but it's a damn good beer for those who know what to expect.

Lambickx came served in a wine glass and, indeed, has the visual sophistication to suit it; a lambent amber-peach tone with a pearl white crowning, this looks spectacular. Its haziness is a natural consequence of the fact that it was brewed and subsequently stuffed into a barrel in 2011 and not released until 2013; two years in oak will inevitably lead to cloudiness.

Like an animal that hisses or growls before attacking, Lambics give you fair warming: the aroma is expressively, definitively sour. This particular bouquet is a little more restrained than many but one can still make out acidic and tart notes of lemon and grapefruit. There's also a strong cork flavour (if a wine had this smell you'd surely assume it was cork taint and send it back).

Lambickx may have a couple extra letters in its name, but it's definitely missing a few things: sweetness nearly edges out sourness, there's little barrel character, and the acidity is considerably muted. Often when swallowing a Lambic one imagines the enamel stripping from their teeth and a little sting at the back of the throat - this experience is nothing like that.

The flavour has elements of dried grass, peaches, and sour apples set to a 'barnyard-y' backdrop but again it falls on the palate a little flat. There's not enough sour lemon juice or oak barrel characteristics for my tastes. This one has a notably abundance of sweet wheat malt and only a superficial amount of the style's trademark 'funkiness'. It actually tastes remarkably like a buttery California Chardonnay, sharing the oaky, tart apple, and lightly acidic qualities.

I like the idea behind Lambickx: each year Vanberg & DeWul (the importers responsible for it) select a single batch of lambic - as opposed to a blend of lambics of several different ages - from a different producer, the idea being that each individual cask matures and tastes different and reflects the specific characteristics of the vintage, the brewer's tastes, the "terroir", etc...

The problem with this one, however, is that Brouwerij DeTroch - maker of 'Chapeau', some of the most pathetic, intensely sweetened and artificial tasting "lambics" ever to see market - is not exactly known for "complexity, brilliance and drinking excellence". This particular lambic is half-hearted - nothing more - but I do see the potential for some great releases to come.

Pour / Appearance: Next to no carbonation. Cork came out with no pop or hiss, and even a heavy pour yield only a few millimeters of head that quickly disappeared. Otherwise a very beautiful, straw colored beer. Not much to really comment on here, as it hits its marks in spades.

Aroma: Very nice, subtle belgian yeast funk that somehow dominates while letting peaks of acidity and pilsen malt through. Not a complicated aroma, but a nice one. Again, hits the mark.

Taste: Here's where I have an issue: without carb, and I know it's traditional, it's like drinking a white wine. Yes there are very nice upfront funk notes and some hints of acidity, but there is way too much cheap white wine oak note dominating the beer. It did everything else right, but it is entirely one dimensional here. I'm very disappointed.

Overall: Not worth the price, and very disappointing. Maybe I got a bad bottle, but I don't think so. There is plenty of funk if you're looking for an example of yeast activity, but there's not much beer behind it.

not as good as i wanted this to be, the 2010-11 vintage in oak and chestnut. it pours a still apple juice color, no bubbles at all. hazy, but sunny and bright still. the nose is really funky, authentic lambic smelling with lactic tartness and high acid content. lots of citrus too, smells wild and strong, it fills the room with its funky aromatics. the taste is a little more subtle, sour only in the finish, with rustic wheat malt and lemon juice making up the bulk of the taste. as it warms a yellow grapefruit complex really comes out. fleshy grapefruit is the exact flavor, its uncanny. i have a real problem with the lack of carbonation. i know its one vintage of lambic and is supposed to be this way, but it makes it hard to get into it, i want sour beer like this to resonate and sing, this just falls short of that by quite a bit, its almost dead on the palate. i am glad i got to try this, but at 23 bucks or so per bottle, it is absurdly overpriced. i know there are a number of vintages and barrels released of this, and others may exhibit other characteristics, but at this price i am unlikely to continue experimenting with lambickx.

edit: just enjoyed the private domain edition, with some port or red wine and chestnut wood among three blended wood treatments from what i understand. it suffers the same lack of carbonation and life, but the depth really is advanced well beyond the on i had from the bottle reviewed above. all sorts of musty funky weirdness and old medical stuff, like an abandoned senior citizens home firstaid kit or something. all in a good way. get the private domain if you can!

750 ml bottle into tulip glass, bottled in 2012. Pours lightly hazy pale golden straw color with no head or lacing. Some light streaming carbonation from the glass . Aromas of big tart apple, lemon, pear, grape, leather, wood, clove, pepper, hay, straw, grass, wheat, musty funk, white wine, light vinegar, and yeast earthiness. Very nice aromas with good balance and complexity of wood and yeast notes; with good strength. Feels drier and more oak/wood forward than most lambics I have had. Taste of tart green apple, grape, lemon, leather, clove, pepper, wood, hay, straw, grass, wheat, musty funk, white wine, light vinegar, and yeast earthiness. Fair amount of earthy/spicy tartness on the finish; with lingering notes of green apple, grape, lemon, leather, wood, clove, pepper, hay, straw, wheat, musty funk, white wine, light vinegar, and yeast earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice complexity and balance of wood and yeast flavors; with a moderately dry finish with no cloying flavors. Minimal carbonation and medium bodied; with a smooth, earthy, and slightly acidic mouthfeel that is good. Alcohol is very well hidden with minimal warming present after the finish. Overall this is a very nice lambic style. Very dry with nice complexity and balance of wood and yeast flavors; and very smooth to sip on with no carbonation and light acidity. A very enjoyable offering.

A: The beer is hazy dark pale yellow in color. It poured with only delicate lacing on the surface and a thin collar around the edge of the glass.
S: Light to moderate aromas of oak are present in the nose along with notes of sourness.
T: The taste is similar to the smell and has a little bit of acidity with hints of tangerines.
M: It feels light-bodied on the palate and has a low amount of carbonation.
O: This unblended lambic was neither too acidic nor too sour so it wasn't that difficult to drink.

Poured into a lambic flute at World of Beer in Tempe. This is the "Private Domain" version, which I believe came from Lindeman's.

Pale gold with perfect clarity. A minimal amount of watery, off-white bubbles clumps together before dissipating entirely. Occasionally, single bubbles make a slow, slow rise from the bottom of the glass to the top.

Funky aroma, almost smoky. There's a little cat pee, sure, along with some pungent, bretty barnyard funk. Alongside that we have wet grass, fresh-ground peppercorns and a bit of pear. Complex, balanced.

The smokiness is apparent in the flavor as well -- lots of clovey phenols. Grass again, this time fresher and more bitter. A dry, saltine cracker malt character is offset by salty tartness that lingers into the next sip.

An interesting look into how Lindemans' beers taste pre-massive fruit addition. Not the best lambic ever, and certainly pricy for what it is, but interesting nonetheless.

Definitely lie carbonation but a nice sourness. Color is cloudy as expected, nose is light with hints of apple. Initial flavor is medium sour with apple, finishes tart and a bit flat. Overall a decent sour for a festival sampling but not the best for just drinking alone.

A: Pours a hazy golden straw yellow in color with minimal amounts of active visible carbonation occasionally surfacing from the bottom of the glass and some apricot highlights. The beer has a half finger tall fizzy white head that quickly reduces to a medium sized patch of thin film and a thin ring at the edges of the glass. Minimal amounts of lacing are observed.

T: Very similar to the aroma - there is a moderately tart flavor of granny smith apple, lemon citrus, and wood/oak right upfront. That is followed by lighter flavors of not quite ripe grapes and funky hay/barnyard.

M: Just shy of medium bodied with light amounts of carbonation. Moderate amounts of acidic prickliness. Moderate amounts of dryness in the finish.

O: Not as tart or funky as some of the other beers in this style (which is most similar to a Gueze rather than a Lambic - Unblended as it is in fact a blend of lambics all from the same year). Definitely an enjoyable beer but not for newbies to the style... Well worth the price tag.